Golfer aces hole where he nearly died

If it were the plot of a “feel good” sports movie, it would probably stretch the viewer’s believability quotient too far.

But the truth is – as usual – stranger than fiction.

Six months ago, Unionville-Chadds Ford school board member Vic Dupuis “dropped dead” on the third tee at the Kennett Country Club.

The 52-year-old Dupuis had a rather serious form of cardiac arrest resulting from an, at the time, undiagnosed case of sarcoidosis.

For medical show aficionados, that’s the disease with numerous symptoms that was often part of the differential diagnosis portion on the FOX series, “House.”

Dupuis was saved by the quick actions of his fellow golfers – some a part of his foursome and some from an adjacent hole.

Once he was diagnosed and started receiving treatment – which includes a defibrillator installed in his chest – Dupuis emerged on the other side of the incident with a promising prognosis.

“It’s really a case of the miracles of modern technology and medicine,” Dupuis said, “I am a waking testament to good cardiac medicine, and I’ve had no issues since.”

Part of that initial healing process, however, was a three-month stay from hitting the links.

“When my friends asked me when I was going golfing again, I told them, ‘Nov. 10,’” Dupuis said. “That’s 90 days from my surgery, when they installed my defibrillator. I bought new clubs for it and everything.”

Cut to 90 days later, and – standing on the same tee, at roughly the same time of day, accompanied by a friend who was also with him in July and using clubs he’d never swung before – Dupuis sunk his second ever hole-in-one on a Par 3 at roughly 165 yards.

“Granted, this one was probably more memorable than the first one,” Dupuis said with a chuckle.

Not only did he get the ace, but he also had a clear, unimpeded view of the whole shot – a rarity for most golfers.

“A lot of time, you don’t get to see ball go in the hole. Usually, it’s so far away … but we got to see the ball go in the hole. Unbelievable.”

There was a disconcerting moment, however, when he was on the ground laughing while his friend jumped up and down shouting, “Oh my God!” that looked suspiciously like the tableau on July 27.

Looked and sounded so much like that day, in fact, that it attracted the attention of a doctor at an adjacent tee – the same doctor who looked over his treatment on the green that summer afternoon.

“It maybe wasn’t so funny for him,” Dupuis said.

Despite however lucky he was on Nov. 10, he’s well aware that he was far luckier on July 27, when his friends and associates resuscitated him and kept him from death’s door.

“Like I said, I’ve been given a very good prognosis, so there are no real reasons to be worried,” he said.

He’s also thankful for the people who were there to help him that day last summer.